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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Have you ever wondered if God has greater things in store for you? The Bible is clear that though Peter saw himself as only a fisherman, the Lord saw him as a fisher of men, a leader among men, the rock upon which His Church would be built. Divinity gave Him the insight to extend the invitations that would help Peter discover the life he was meant to live. To each there comes in their lifetimea special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulderand offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared and unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour- Winston Churchill What are you willing to sacrifice? Are you ready to take a stand and leave neutral ground? Are you ready to do remarkable things and become extraordinary? The Lord is completely aware of you, He has miracles in store for you, and He knows what He is about to do. Give Him all that you have to offer. He will bless it! He will make it more!Together we can overwhelm the world with good...one little bit of good at a time! How we respond to situations, whether we see them as roadblocks or invitations for something greater--With each invitation comes the choice of having faith strong enough or doubt more powerful. Sometimes you have to set aside times for wondering. You have to entertain thoughts of greatness. In those moments, the Lord will unfold possibilities you have never even considered.Through understanding how Peter found his potential, we can better understand how to achieve all we are meant to be. Journey with Peter and the Savior as you begin to understand the potential the Lord sees in you.

THE PETER POTENTIAL

the life you were meant to live

_____________________________________________________________________________________________None of the above were my own words but rather the description plus several reader reviews of a new book entitled The Peter Potential. I was so very taken and inspired by the description alone that I thought it worthy to blog about. Then I got this crazy idea to see if I could share some of it's inspirational message without giving away it was a book, or better yet, one I've never read! The Peter Potential, and why I feel so compelled by it's message---I'd have to say that it started, in part, by my recent internal struggle of turning my daughter over (casting my net) to the public school system. What you need to understand is that I've been planning to homeschool long before I even thought I'd have children (being infertile for an entire decade). Even as a public high school teacher, part of my ongoing education was purposefully attending homeschooling seminars (Thomas Jefferson Education). And then it happened, God blessed me with not 1, but 2 beautiful daughters! And Iet me tell ya, as an older mom I've been living it up...mommy-daughter library days, music makers, field-trips, mommy pre-k, the whole 9 yards...then I got cancer.During a full year of cancer treatment, all the mommy-daughter time was put on hold...my entire life was put on hold. My 3 turned 4 year old was graciously taken in every single day by other mommies from church. My preemie newborn (whom I had to deliver early because of the cancer) was essentially raised by my own mother her entire first year of life. If I wasn't receiving chemo or radiation, or surgery I was sleeping from all the pain meds.Until finally one day the sun tipped over the horizon again...cancer treatment was complete and everything looked good. I'm on the mend, I've re-entered society in a new house, a new city, a new church family (we moved about 10 miles closer to my parent's home during the cancer...or I should say, everyone else moved us I just showed up). I've been getting on a role again even finishing another year of mommy pre-k. I recently found a kindergarten curriculum (5 in a Row) that looks perfect for us. We began the library's summer reading program, weekly dollar day movies...I had the entire summer lined up. Mommy-daughter time is back in business! Amidst our summer fun, I mosey on down for my routine 6 month follow. Uh Oh-- the CT-Scan sees something. My oncologist is concerned so he orders A PET-Scan which reveals not only is the cancer back but has metastasized. It's back...it's inoperable.But God is in control this whole time, he has actually been preparing me for for a solid 7 years on the next step he wants me to take. I'm to decline the chemo to instead to the nutritionally based Gerson Therapy which I'll admit is only possible for me because I've been in a 12-step program for food addiction these past 7 years which, praise God, made it fairly easy to eat this very healthy but non conventional to the average person way. Could my food addiction nemesis really turn to be my salvation? I wonder if Peter ever felt that way?So today I'm doing the Gerson Therapy full swing. I feel pretty good barring some tiredness I get from the constant detox. You'd never think looking at me there is cancer raging in my body. But the Gerson Therapy is by no means an easy way out (vs chemo); in fact it's very, VERY rigorous. The funny thing is I've joked over the years that I may have thrived living law of Moses in the Old Testament because I like structure...well now I get to put my money where my mouth is with this therapy every single day...The Holy Spirit already whispering to my heart that this is a spiritual exercise just as much as it is a physical one! So turning back to the point of this entire post, I've realized that if there is any chance to homeschool at all in my future, I must let my daughter go for now...cast her out in "Peter's net" so to speak(with maybe a few tears) while I heal my body before I can draw her back into me again. And should the good Lord see fit to take me back home to Him sooner rather than later, won't I in essence be casting my precious little family out in the net so to speak? Away from me for a season? But like Peter who when casting his nets at his own bidding found his net's yield random at best or completely empty at worst. YET at the Lord's beckoning, his nets were overflowing in abundance EVERY SINGLE TIME! I'm choosing to cast my net at the Lord's call.

The Lord has tapped, no SLAPPED me on the shoulders with this cancer. No trial is wasted with the Lord unless we choose to let is waste us. When I read the blurb on this book and thus began pondering Peter's ministery, I realized that I want...no NEED the Lord to turn this trial into something great, but not only for me but also my dear husband and precious daughter's...and all the good dear people who are ministering to us and praying for us. May the Lord find me prepared and qualified for it.

So here I am today, my nets are cast in faith. I will wait upon the Lord knowing and praising Him in advance that my net will not return empty, but overflowing in ways I can't even comprehend yet. I sustain the plan of salvation! I hope you do too.

His eye is on the Sparrow and

I Know

He watches over me!

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't know the authors. Nope, I wasn't given anything to review this book. I just stumbled across it in a mailer at dinner tonight. BAM! there it was and I felt utterly compelled to share it's message. Now I think I'll go buy it! FYI another book I heard an entire podcast about several years ago by Cindy Rushton and even ordered my own copy just to have it sit on my bookshelf ever since collecting dust bunnies. And here's the kicker!? As it turns out, it's not even necessary that I read this book anymore to understand the message (even though I'd still like to) because with my recent terminal cancer diagnosis ( find the details here ), I know exactly what the author is talking about. The book's title?One Month To Live: Thirty Days To A No-Regrets Life (Shook)References: Amazon description & ReviewsAuthor's blog (I plan on reading)